Arecibo is a city and municipality located on the northern coast of Puerto Rico along the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated north of Utuado and Ciales, east of Hatillo, and west of Barceloneta and Florida. The city lies approximately 50 miles (80 km) west of San Juan, the capital of Puerto Rico.
As the largest municipality in Puerto Rico by area, Arecibo serves as the core city of the Arecibo Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the greater San Juan–Bayamón, PR Combined Statistical Area. The municipality is divided into 18 barrios and includes Arecibo Pueblo. As of 2020, its population was recorded at 87,754.